It will get worse especially in the early spring from what I read it spreads via stolons. Tenacity will not kill it. Triv will out compete TTTF. I guess just keep digging it out and seed as you see it during the year.

 

how can u distinguish between poa A and poa T via ligule? both has it

 

I thought so too. I started reading more and I found that Poa Triv many times can have absent the membranous ligule not so with annua. I wish it was annua as triv seems like a worse problem.

 

My lawn is only in its 3rd year. I think I remember the first spring seeing some poa annua based on its seed heads and thinking what is that and having some idea it may be bluegrass and not knowing it could be much of a problem. This is the first fall that I'm seeing this and it is absent of any seed head. Some discriptors of Poa Triv say it has a red stem towards the bottom this does not and it has a very hairy root structure that is pretty shallow, certainly easy to pull up. I know they say it spreads by stolons but when I disect it apart I'm not certain what constitutes the stolon to be honest.
I had a bad infestation of fungal disease this summer, I think pythium blight that killed grass to the roots. I had to get all that dead grass out so I dethatched using a pull behind dethatcher for my riding mower and I used an electric dethatcher as well. I aerated using a core aerator and raked up a ton of dead grass. I overseeded with Scotts Tall Fescue and top dressed with Leafgro. I left for several days to visit family in Kansas and when I get back germination is good but I'm seeing these bright green small patches. So I am asking myself was it something I did to cause the problem. Does dethatching activate poa, does aeration cause spread, is it the seed or the topdress product (Leafgro)? We had a week of rain from Ian while I was gone to Kansas could that be a factor?
Now that I dug out 50 or so patches, filled the holes, seeded and top dressed the poa spots the lawn looks Ok for the most part, certainly better than the devestation from summer fungus. I saw a YouTube video today about a growth regulator called Anuew that showed some effect in control of both types but better with annua. I think I will use the Tenacity to identify stuff I missed as a next step and see what develops over the winter into spring!

 

POA Triv in different stages of maturity look differently. Don't be fooled by any single thing

 

Your biggest mistake was using Scott's seeds. Its full of weeds and other crops. Then core aeration just brings up more weed seeds.

 

Yeah that thought crossed my mind. The thing that makes me question the seed as the source is it has shown up in parts of the lawn that I never over-seeded or aerated. I had areas that really needed aeration so I could see how that can activate dormant seed. Damned if you do and damned if you don't!

 

Well it is now the last week of October and it is evident that the areas where I pulled/dug out the triv have now shown progression from the periphery outward. Some advice I read after the fact says dig 12 to 14 inches beyond what you see. I think that is sound advice. The stolons spread across the surface and may not have a density of new grass shoots to be visually evident or if your pulling up clumps some of the roots and stolons may break off and it regenerates from that. I pulled the reciept from the turf company to see what they charged 3 yrs ago to renno just over 23k sq feet. The cost of roundup treatment, seed, lime and fertilizer 2500$$, now consider the cost every year since of fertilizer, herbicide, fungicide and the fact that I have had fungus infection every year since the renno that has required renno of several thousand sq feet and this lawn has cost more than I ever thought it would with no end in sight. The lawn contractor gave me the seed tag for the original seed that indicated 0% weed seed. Since my neighbor has Poa and has never used anything but the original 0% weed seed I have to wonder what is the source of the Poa. This used to be a truck farm, strawberries and watermelon I have heard. Then the developers took it over and they seeded lots as they sold homes, everyone of their seedings failed big time. Then myself and neighbor tried seeding again on our own and failed, then we decided we needed irrigation and we both went with the same company for irrigation and lawn renno. Now we both have Poa Triv. Mine is more advanced but I think once you got it it's just a matter of time before it takes over. So come spring I will try Roundup to the areas and see if it comes back with cool fall weather and reseed the areas. Then consider total renno if unsuccessful!

 

The lawn contractor gave me the seed tag for the original seed that indicated 0% weed seed. Since my neighbor has Poa and has never used anything but the original 0% weed seed I have to wonder what is the source of the Poa.

What % of other crop seed is on the label? Thats where triv hides.

 

I did not consider that but I have read over and over again that seed is suspected to be a source of Poa triv and annua even in what would be considered good quality seed blends. I know Poa triv is actually a preferred seed in cool climates maybe that's where they find a rationale to cover it under other "crop seed". I did just now look up the crop seed % in my turf company seed and it was 0.02% so maybe that was the source. Now I have to wonder is there seed that is really 100% free of weed and crop seed??. The Scotts Tall Fescue I used for repair the past 2 years had good reviews and also went from about 79$ for 40 lbs to 132 this year. This has been a real education!

 

There are lots of blends that are labeled 0% weed seed and 0% other crop seed. You should call and ask about the label before purchasing. I use Triple Threat TTTF.

I have seen some Barenbrug that is labeled .3% other crop seed and they sell a lot of triv too, so I stay away from them.

 

Good advice so going forward if I need to seed I will seek out 0% weed and other crop seed. I'm fairly confident that my poa triv problem came from the several vacant building lots adjacent to my property. The developer cut the fields low the other day. Typically once a year he cuts it and the weeds can be a good 4 ft tall of a pretty diverse variety when he gets to it. Anyway what I see now with it cut low is a pretty heavy infestation of poa triv. I think that is how it started in my lawn.

 

If the triv spreads all over, its not the worse thing. At least your lawn will look more uniform as opposed to patchy lime green areas that turns to dead areas during the summer. If it bothers you, just do a complete renovation and follow the guide to a T. Buy quality seed, sod quality if possible (pawnee buttes is recommended), gly multiple times over a month, do not break ground after gly

 

I use to live on the US Canada boarder in NY where it was not common to get temps over 85 degrees, during most summers it was mid to upper 70s that was typical. I enjoyed my lawn back then it was easy no fungus and I don't remember Poa triv anywhere, dandelions was the worst of it.
If I came into this with the knowledge to identify potential problems and how to prevent them maybe I would have faired better but not knowing all the little idiosyncrasies, the dos and don'ts perhaps I can blame myself for some of the problems. So I have until spring to ponder what to do as its too late in fall to do anything more.

 

sometimes this stuff is unavoidable. This forum makes poa a and poa t out to be death to a lawn, but some climates it is just going to survive and does well.

neighbors, animals, bringing in material, all will cause spreading of different seeds.

you will drive yourself absolutely crazy trying to rid some grass types, make a decision on what you want to deal with a learn to live with it.

 

You got that right about "driving yourself crazy". I have a few things I want to try to control Poa T. Some say Tenacity slows it down. I thought perhaps a product called Anuew a growth suppressant in combo with Tenacity might tamp it down or prevent spread. I could continue to pull it like I did this fall with maybe 50% were I did not see it come back on the margins. With acres and acres of Poa triv to the north and wind speeds typically 10 to 20 mph range in spring I think it's going to be a long term struggle. Maybe some genius turf scientists will figure out a selective hebicide in the meantime and become very rich in the process!

 

Anuew will slow it down but it will come roaring back once the anuew wears off. It’s seems to have a better results with Poa annua causing it to retreat into the canopy with the higher app dose that most cool season turf type have over annua.